A Bunch of Books

I didn't include my recent book reviews in my Unraveled Wednesday post so it's time to do it now. These books include a combination of old, relatively new, a reread, and an advance reader's copy. 

I'm not sure how I missed reading Rules of Civility back in 2011 when it was published, but I was glad to finally read it while waiting for my hold on Table for Two. What I liked best was Towles' ability to clearly and realistically write a woman's voice. Other reviewers have disagreed but it worked for me. The story of Katey Kontent, Tinker Grey, and Eve Ross, set in 1930s New York City was written beautifully, but it also provided plenty of impetus that made me want to keep reading. The plot may be slightly predictable but sometimes that's just what I want to read, just like Katey admires Agatha Christie because "everyone gets what they deserve" and justice is served. Three and a half stars rounded up.

I've never been much of a memoir reader, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur. I felt much the same about The Many Lives of Mama Love. Both of these books made me think, "These people sure do lead different lives than I do, and in many ways, they sound quite exciting." But then there are also the terrible parts - drug addiction, committing felonies, getting thrown in jail, losing custody of your children, and trying to overcome the shame and stigma of your past crimes to get a job and become a productive member of society. I was impressed with how Lara Love Hardin reinvented herself but would have liked to learn more about what it felt like to overcome her heroin addiction. I also would like to read some more from the other side - what her children felt like having a mother in prison, and the stories from the D.A. that she had previously slept with and his wife who worked in the probation department. Hardin is surprised by her neighbors' contempt for her but seems to justify her crimes of stealing from them by saying that she had done this to provide for her children. She conveniently forgot that she and her husband had spent all of their own money on heroin. But people who have authored their memoirs are free to cast themselves as the hero, and Hardin has accomplished something that not many others have achieved. Three and a half stars rounded up.

"Escape was always my real addiction, the one true high. Books were just my gateway drug. Sex just got me pregnant. Food just made me puffy. Vicodin just helped me pretend I was happy. The heroin, though, that gave me everything I had ever wanted--peace, joy, escape.
Until it didn't.
And everything I knew and everyone I loved was gone."

I reread Elizabeth Strout's Anything Is Possible because I wanted to refresh my memory about the characters before I started Strout's latest book, Tell Me Everything. I felt the same as when I initially read it in 2017, so my review following is the one I wrote then. With Anything Is Possible, Elizabeth Strout has truly perfected her already great string of books in the form of linked stories. Olive Kitteridge was wonderful; My Name is Lucy Barton was even better, and Anything Is Possible is practically perfect. There is Strout's usual excellent prose as each chapter carefully elucidates a different character with an intimate look at their lives, but I think what I especially liked was how much this book added to Lucy Barton's story. It can be heartbreaking, poignant, sometimes heart-rending, and at times even appalling, but through her understated and evocative writing, Strout manages to make the reader understand the characters presented here and Lucy Barton herself in depth. We are introduced to Tommy, the maintenance man at Lucy's elementary school, Lucy's brother Pete, Patty Nicely of the Pretty Nicely girls, and several other characters originally mentioned in My Name is Lucy Barton. They seemed like minor characters in that book, but loom much larger in Anything Is Possible. Lucy herself makes an appearance in the story entitled "Sister", shedding more light on her family dynamics.

This book helped me better appreciate the wonder of learning Lucy's background and full story the way Strout has chosen to reveal it in two separate books. It's hard to imagine how she'll top this with her next novel, but she is certainly an author I'll keep reading.

Tell Me Everything has probably been my most anticipated book this year. I got excited when the cover design was revealed, and even more excited when I requested and was approved for an ARC. Once I had the book in my hands I wanted to read it in one sitting but somehow still savor it to make it last.

Strout tells us more of Bob Burgess' story; remember him from The Burgess Boys? But the book is about so much more and so many more people, including Bob's wife, Margaret, and his first wife, Pam. It's also the story of how Bob comes to defend a local man accused of murdering his mother. There is a small mystery about who committed the crime, but it's more about the changes that Bob helps the accused man make in his life. Bob's brother Jim also appears in this novel with some important revelations for Bob.

Bob meets Lucy Barton frequently so they can take walks together. Their relationship is one of good friends who share a special emotional intimacy until possibly, they don't. This part was a bit worrisome for me, but it all came together wonderfully at the end. In one of my favorite developments, Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge get together to tell each other stories about "unrecorded lives". I will be thinking about these stories and their meanings for a long time.

I greatly enjoyed revisiting many of Strout's past characters, especially Olive, Lucy, and Bob, and their interactions with each other now that many of them live in Crosby, Maine. Because Strout has caught the reader up on many favorite characters, this book feels as if it could be an ending to the Lucy Barton series. There were parts of the book that felt as if they might be moving too slowly, but Elizabeth Strout's novels have never been page-turners or plot-driven. They are stories of humanity, love, loss, empathy, and true human connections, and in these respects, this is one of Strout's best. Four and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on August 13, 2024. 

"Lucy stood up and pulled on her coat. "Those are my stories," she said, and then bent down to put her boots back on. "But you're right. They are stories of loneliness and love." Then she picked up her bag and said, "And the small connections we make in this world if we are lucky." And then to Olive's amazement, Lucy said, smiling at her with a gentleness on her face, "And I feel that way about you. A connection. Love. So thank you."
Olive said, "Wait." As Lucy turned, Olive said, "Well, phooey. I feel connected to you too. So there. " She stuck out her tongue."

For anyone not familiar with Elizabeth Strout's Lucy series, this book is not the best place to start. You'll have a much better appreciation for the characters and their backstories if you read the previous books in order: 

Olive Kitteridge (not technically part of the Lucy series but you'll be familiar with Olive Kitteridge who shows up in Tell Me Everything)

Olive, Again (nice to read but not entirely necessary)

The Burgess Boys (not technically part of the Lucy series but you'll be familiar with Bob Burgess who figures largely in Tell Me Everything)

My Name is Lucy Barton

Anything is Possible

Oh William!

Lucy by the Sea

It looks like a lot of books but I think they're well worth reading (and some of my favorites)!

In case you're interested, there is a giveaway on Goodreads for a copy of Tell Me Everything. 

I hope have an enjoyable weekend and you're reading something good!